Growth factors for blood cells

This page is about growth factors for blood cells. Growth factors for blood cells are natural substances produced in the body and are sometimes called colony stimulating factors. They stimulate the bone marrow to make certain types of blood cells. We can now make some growth factors artificially in the laboratory. In cancer care, you are most likely to have these after chemotherapy, to help your blood counts recover. They include filgrastim (Neupogen), pegylated G-CSF (Neulasta) and ratiograstim.

Researchers are looking into using some types of blood cell growth factors as biological therapy. GM-CSF is a growth factor that increases the number of some types of white blood cell (neutrophils and monocytes). It also stimulates dendritic cells. These are a type of white blood cell that help the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells. So GM-CSF is being used alongside other biological therapies to try to boost numbers of dendritic cells and help them to work. Researchers are also trying GM-CSF in cancer vaccines for certain types of cancer.

This is very early, experimental research. In trials so far, patients who had these vaccines made more dendritic cells. But we don’t know yet how this will affect the cancer. So far, trials have been carried out with very small numbers of patients, mostly with advanced melanoma.